U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth may be expecting a baby girl by the end of this year, but that isn’t stopping her from running for re-election in November.
The Iraq veteran and double amputee will face Republican Larry Kaifesh of Carpentersville, a fellow veteran, in the midterm elections.
Duckworth announced she was pregnant in September as she spoke publicly about her pregnancy for the first time as part of a segment about amputees from the Iraq War who have recently had babies or are pregnant.
“I am so thrilled that I'm going to be a mother here in just-- four months," she told NBC's TODAY,
Duckworth, who lost both legs in combat during the Iraq war, hails from Hoffman Estates and was elected to Congress last year, unseating Joe Walsh in the 8th Congressional District after a single term.
She previously worked as the VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs from 2009 to 2011 following a stint as director for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
She was among five Democrats named to serve on a Republican-led committee to investigate the 2012 attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Duckworth and Kaifesh recently made headlines for an unusual disagreement surrounding President Barack Obama’s decision to arm Syrian rebels.
Duckworth was one of five Illinois Democrats to oppose the plan to spend to $500 million training and equipping the rebels, arguing the potential for long-term consequences, while Kaifesh argued that ISIS actions prompted the need for a response.
The two both share extensive military backgrounds with Kaifesh serving 23 years as an Infantry Officer in the United State Marine Corps, including five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Both have had reservations on the handling of the Islamic State’s actions.
According to Rothenberg Political Report Duckworth remains safe in the upcoming election.
The 8th District includes parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties.
